GP Qatar 2025 | Updated power unit usage and grid penalties
With only two Grands Prix remaining in the 2025 Formula 1 season, managing power unit components has become both a technical and strategic challenge. Regulations impose strict limits on the number of replaceable elements without incurring penalties, and with the championship entering its final stages, almost all drivers have already reached or exceeded these thresholds. In this context, planning component changes and understanding their impact on starting grids is crucial for scoring vital points.
Power unit component limits
According to the regulations (Article 28.2), during the 2025 season a driver cannot use more than 4 internal combustion engines (ICE), 4 turbochargers (TC), 4 MGU-H, 4 MGU-K, 2 energy stores (ES), 2 electronic control units (CE), and 8 exhaust systems (EX) without incurring penalties.
Updated table of components used by each driver in 2025
Data after the Brazilian GP and FIA document of 21/11:
| No. | Team | Driver | ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | CE | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | McLaren | Oscar Piastri | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 04 | McLaren | Lando Norris | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 44 | Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 01 | Red Bull | Max Verstappen | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 22 | Red Bull | Yuki Tsunoda | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 12 | Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Aston Martin | Lance Stroll | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Alpine | Pierre Gasly | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 07 | Alpine | Franco Colapinto | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 31 | Haas | Esteban Ocon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 87 | Haas | Olivier Bearman | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 06 | RBR | Isack Hadjar | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 30 | RBR | Liam Lawson | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 23 | Williams | Alexander Albon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 55 | Williams | Carlos Sainz | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 27 | Sauber | Gabriel Bortoleto | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 05 | Sauber | Nico Hulkenberg | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Current situation
The current scenario confirms that no driver has any spare components available: any further intervention on the main power unit elements will result in grid penalties.
Considering the characteristics of circuits where the engine is at 100% for prolonged periods, at Las Vegas the importance of a fresh power unit with extra horsepower is higher than elsewhere. It is possible that after qualifying, depending on the grid positions, some teams might choose to take a penalty to have a new unit available for rotation.
Drivers over the limits
Drivers who have exceeded the limit (quota 5 on ICE/TC/MGU-H/MGU-K) include Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, Olivier Bearman, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson. Any further replacements will result in at least a five-place grid penalty.
Drivers at the maximum limit
Drivers at the maximum allowed quota (4) include Alexander Albon, Isack Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lance Stroll, and Carlos Sainz. For these drivers, the next replacement will trigger a 10-place grid penalty.
As teams crunch the numbers ahead of Qatar’s sprint format and the long-haul race, expect some bold calls.
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